Lead Counsel

About the role

The Lead Counsel, Real Estate will serve as a senior attorney within The Walt Disney Company’s Corporate Real Estate function, providing sophisticated legal advice and transactional support across the Company’s global portfolio of owned and leased real estate, with a primary area of focus in North America.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice and services on issues concerning the rights, obligations, and privileges of the Company in connection with its global real estate portfolio, with a primary area of focus in North America.
• Act as a strategic and collaborative legal partner to Corporate Real Estate and other business stakeholders, leading complex transactions, managing risk, and helping translate business needs into practical, commercially effective real estate solutions.
• Represent the Company in negotiations with counterparties and governmental agencies, resolve complex legal and business issues, and provide clear guidance to support decision-making in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Provide legal support on a broad range of corporate real estate matters, including leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, development, construction, and ongoing operations and maintenance of real estate assets.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex real estate agreements, including office, industrial, retail, hotel, and specialty leases; purchase and sale agreements; development and management agreements; easements; licenses; infrastructure agreements; and related documentation.
• Lead and manage all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including due diligence, title and survey review, risk assessment, and closings, often involving complex, high-value, and multi-jurisdictional deals.
• Advise on land use, zoning, entitlements, and regulatory compliance matters, and recommend practical, business-oriented solutions to mitigate legal and operational risks.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Corporate Real Estate and portfolio management teams, aligning legal strategy with leasing, consolidations, exits, and portfolio optimization initiatives.
• Represent the Company in negotiations with landlords, tenants, counterparties, and governmental or regulatory bodies.
• Partner cross-functionally with stakeholders across Legal, Finance, Operations, and other business units to resolve issues and ensure compliance.
• Evaluate legal data and documentation to assess strategies related to disputes or proceedings involving real estate assets.
• Engage and manage outside counsel, including oversight of scope, quality of work, and legal budgets.
• Maintain organized legal records and documentation to support internal reporting, audits, and compliance processes.
• Monitor legal and industry developments and communicate implications to stakeholders.
• Provide clear, practical guidance by translating complex legal concepts into actionable business insights.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in commercial real estate law, with at least 10+ years experience in the field.
• Expertise drafting and negotiating complex real estate agreements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound legal judgment.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex matters in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative and strategic mindset with high integrity.
• Experience working independently and within a matrixed organization.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.

Skills

• Collaborative and strategic mindset with high integrity.
• Experience working independently and within a matrixed organization.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.

Benefits

Base pay range for this position in Burbank, CA is $212,000 to $274,200 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.